Monthly Archives: February 2018

It’s totally doable — but there are a lot of ways to make the change easier.

Hi! I’m Emily, and I’ve been a pescatarian for more than three years.

I've experimented with vegetarianism and veganism as well, but neither of those have completely stuck (yet). Take it from me, though: cutting meat out of your diet is totally doable, but there are a lot of ways to make the change a little easier. Here are 10 things I've learned in the past few years, and wish I had known from the start.

Emily Shwake / BuzzFeed

Instead of trying to go from carnivore to vegan in one fell swoop, ease your way in.

Take it slow! Maybe start by eating one meal every day that doesn't have meat in it. Or only eat meat if you're going out to eat. Or try out meatless Mondays. It'll be easier for you to figure out what fills you up when the cravings aren't as intense.

Nickelodeon

Try out a few meat substitutes to keep the cravings at bay.

Let's be very clear: meat substitutes are really freakin' good these days. As in, diehard carnivores have probably even tried a veggie burger they actually like. And there are so many options: soy chorizo, seitan bacon, black bean burgers, jackfruit barbecue chicken, the list goes on and on. As meatless lifestyles have gone mainstream, companies have gotten way more creative with their recipes and products. You don't have to like tofu to get your protein anymore.

Know how you’re going to supplement your nutrition when meat is out of the picture.

Everyone always made it seem like I needed meat to get enough protein or that I would have to eat a ton of tofu (I, to this day, still can't stand tofu.) Once I did my research, I realized how untrue that was. At first, meal planning is going to be confusing and your nutrition intake will probably dip while you're re-strategizing. But once you get the hang of it you won't even think about it.

Get a few cheat sheets here and learn more specifics about nutrition here.

Learn how to cook vegetables really well so you aren’t overcompensating by eating a lot of refined carbs and dairy.

This is going to sound weird, but the more I lost my taste for meat, the more I gained it for vegetables. I think that's mostly because I learned how to cook them the right way. You remember when everyone hated Brussels sprouts and now everyone loves them? That's because no one was cooking them the right way. (If you still aren't A Believer, you will be after you try this recipe — because wow.) Even if you quit this whole thing in a month, you'll at least learn more about cooking vegetables and incorporating them into your meals, and that's a good thing.

Do this the way you want to do this, not the way someone’s telling you you have to do it.

My friends still joke about that one time I had a bite of a pork bun. But I actually don't understand why having a bite of meat means my Veg card is revoked. I'm not allergic to it, I'm making a lifestyle choice. If you want to eat meat at special occasions or you only want to be a vegan when you're at home or you are just staring at your friend's bucket of fried chicken, that's fine! Be a sometimes-vegetarian! Do it the way it works for you — not the way that other people think you should do it. Do your best to not give a shit what people say about you because they will always find something else to criticize. You do you, honey.

Don’t feel like you have to justify your decision to anyone — not even yourself.

Not everyone is going to be supportive of this change. You're gonna hear a lot of “I could never cut meat out of my diet, I just love hamburgers too much” or “So, like, are you doing it to lose weight or..?” Whatever your reason, it's a good one and if you don't want to talk about it, just tell them you're trying something new.

Better yet, just don’t talk about it at all.

Discussing food and diets is often going to be an uncomfortable or charged subject in which someone feels self-conscious, defensive, judged, or even just annoyed. This is good for you, too: if you end up breaking and ordering a hamburger when you're drunk or something, you won't feel embarrassed because no one even knows you're trying to cut meat out anyways!

Michael James Schneider is a 44-year-old artist living in Portland, Oregon. He’s been there for about five years and previously lived in Los Angeles.

supplied

Michael worked in retail until a few years ago when he decided to take a year off and be creative. He’s created some…interesting images.

supplied

supplied

“A couple of years ago I had a rough breakup and self-medicated through wine,” he told BuzzFeed News. “Though I'm over the breakup now (and the copious consumption) I always thought it would be sad, funny, and a little sweet to make a companion from the empty cartons left over.”

And thus, Michael’s wine box boyfriend was created:

“There's something to be said for the ideal; maybe we all secretly want that significant other who boops us on the nose with pasta sauce while cooking, who goes grocery shopping with us and is as concerned as we are with the calorie content of focaccia chips,” said Michael.

Niscelle Ward, a friend of Michael's, helped take the photos, which were all done on his iPhone.

Every parent knows that kids LOVE sweet, colorful drinks.

But one thing that parents might not realize is just how much sugar is in them.

Some of these drinks can pack 40 grams of sugar per portion. (That's almost 10 teaspoons of sugar in just ONE drink!)

Fox

One way to get around that? Make your own versions with fresh fruits and juices so you know exactly what’s in them.

The results will be just as delicious and your kids will love them. We used resealable beverage pouches ($11.50 on Amazon) for portable, mess-free drinking — but you can also make a big batch in a pitcher and pour these into thermoses, or anything else you'd like.

Tropical Punch

Combine pineapple, coconut water, and lime in a glass and muddle to infuse flavors. Strain.

Devin Rogerino/BuzzFeed

So, how much sugar are you saving?

The store-bought version of tropical punch contains 22 grams of sugar per serving ― our DIY version only contains 11 grams.

Devin Rogerino/BuzzFeed

Raspberry Pink Lemonade

RASPBERRY PINK LEMONADEServes 1

INGREDIENTS
½ cup raspberries
1 cup water
½ cup lemon juice

Place all ingredients in a glass and muddle to infuse flavors. Strain.

Devin Rogerino/BuzzFeed

Here’s the breakdown:

Bottled pink lemonade can contain up to 37 grams of sugar per serving ― our DIY version only contains 5 grams.

Devin Rogerino / BuzzFeed

Strawberry Milk

STRAWBERRY MILKServes 1

INGREDIENTS
¼ cup strawberries, sliced
1 cup water
1 cup milk

Place strawberries and water in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Cook until strawberries are soft, about 5 minutes. Pass mixture through a fine mesh strainer and cool. Combine cooled strawberry mixture with milk and serve.